2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

Porsche's GT racer gets an update.

Building race cars is a huge business for Porsche. Talk to team owners who run the firm’s cars, and they’ll tell you all about the high prices Porsche charges for parts and support. But this doesn’t scare many of them off, as most keep coming back, filling out orders year after year.

To fill demand—both for its cars and profit—Porsche is now unveiling the 2011 911 GT3 RSR, the latest iteration of what’s surely the most successful GT race car of all time. What's new? More power, for one thing. The naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six gets a 5-hp bump to 455, the full power of which is unleashed at 7800 rpm. Maximum torque is 332 lb-ft, and the powerhouse still redlines at a screaming 9400 rpm. To achieve the slight power gain, Weissach engineers tweaked the engine control to adjust even more precisely to differing fuel quality. The intake is also reworked, while the exhaust system is entirely new. The four-valve-per-cylinder engine sports individual throttle bodies and dry-sump lubrication. It’s an evolution of a tried-and-true engine, not the new, direct-injection powerplant now used in most of Porsche's street-legal 911s.

The task of routing the power to the rear wheels falls to a sequential six-speed gearbox with a three-disc carbon clutch. The traction-control system is adjustable and tuned to enable maximum acceleration. Eighteen-inch BBS wheels are fitted; the fronts are wider than last year’s—12 inches instead of 11—while the rear wheels remain a staggering 13 inches wide. The suspension is completely adjustable. Despite a galvanized-steel body, the new long-distance racer weighs a claimed 2690 pounds.

From the outside, you can tell it's the 2011 model by the LED taillights taken directly from the street-legal current-gen 997. There is a new front lip spoiler with improved airflow; the rear is also tweaked, adding additional apertures for ventilation. While the rear now looks much like the current 997, the GT3 RSR curiously keeps the looks of the “phase-one,” pre-2009 997 at the front. The cutout for the front turn signals looks almost exactly like that of the 2004–2008 models. It's a surprising decision as the GT3 Cup and the GT3 R, the RSR's sister models in Porsche Motorsport's lineup, showcase the latest 911 styling in full.

The 911 GT3 RSR is not street legal, and the price is steep: In Germany, Porsche will charge €410,000 before taxes. At current exchange rates, that’s more than half a million dollars. But for those on a budget, Porsche Motorsport will offer a kit to upgrade last year’s model to 2011 specs. Bless its heart.

Find a Porsche 911 GT3 / GT3 RS Near You

Enter your ZIP Code to discover local offers on new and used Porsche 911 GT3 / GT3 RS vehicles.

Wolf in Wolf's Clothing: Take a stock 911 Turbo S and attach the body from a full-race RSR. What happens next? Well, for starters, subtract a year from your life and $399,000 from your checking account.

The Best and Others to Consider

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Editors' Rating

Starting at

$249,150

With its twin-turbo 3.9-liter V-8 located behind you, you’ll enjoy its sonorous wail, and ferocious acceleration, all the way to 8000 rpm, where it makes 661 hp.

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Editors' Rating

Starting at

$203,295

Nothing on Earth can prepare you for the eyeball-melting performance of Lamborghini’s “entry-level” supercar, the Huracán.

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Editors' Rating

Starting at

$160,250

For decades, the 911 Turbo has been the stuff of legends, and it remains so today.